Toasting apparatus



Jan. 23, 1940. c. w. MALMQUIST 21,333

TOASTING APPARATUS Original Filed Dec 3, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 "I Hurrwys Reiuued Jan. 23, 1940 UNITED STATES TOASTING APPARATUS Clayton W. Malmqllilt, Minneapolis. Minn.

Original No. 2.101.504,

dated December 7, 1937,

Serial No. 114,047, December 3, 1936. Application for. reissue March 7, 1938, Serial No.

,6 Claims.

This invention relates to toasting apparatus and more particularly to bread toasters oi the type that eject the toast when the toasting is completed.

I And it is well known such types of toasters. whether electrical or mechanical, are provided with one or more racks mounted for vertical movement within the casing of the toaster for holding the bread, together with suitablemecha- I. nism connected with the racks for automatically raising the racks at the completion of the toasting operation for ejecting the toast.

The present invention is" concerned with the provision of means which may be readily applied 1. to electric toasters of the toast-ejecting type to i'acilitate the lowering of'the bread racks and to reduce to a minimum the manual efiort now required for lowering such racks.

The present invention is also concerned with and it is more specifically an object of said invention to provide an electrically operated or electro-magnetic means for moving the bread rack of the electric toaster to toasting position.

The present invention together with its objects and advantages will be best understood from a study of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings where- Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational I view oi an electric toaster and illustrating the application of the invention thereto.

' Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the toaster with the invention applied thereto and the bread racks in a raised position. i

8' Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view also illustrating the invention.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing a spring latch assembly forming part of the invention and 40 Figure 5 is a wiring diagram.

Referring more in detail to the drawings it will be seen that 5 indicates a conventional electric toaster of the type that is provided, in the present instance, with two vertically shiftable (I bread racks or holders which latter at one end are provided with arms. or extensions 5 that work through vertical slots 1 provided in an end wall of the casing 8 of the toaster.

As is well known these end extensions of the 60 'bread holders or trays are usually provided with handles and latch means mounted on the end wall of the casing of the toaster is provided to engage the ends of the bread holders or trays for releasably retaining the trays in lowered posi- 55 tion with the bread thereon in the region of the heating element oi! the toaster, together with means generally provided for releasing the latch means to permit the bread holders or racks to automatically move upwardly for ejecting the toast when the toasting is completed.

In accordance with the present invention, means is provided for lowering the bread trays or racks for positioning the bread thereon in heating position and for releasably securing the racks in the lowered position. More specifically, m in accordance with the present invention an electro-magnetic means is provided for lowering the bread trays or bread racks.

To this end I provide a standard or guide rod 9 that rises from the base of the toaster spaced from and paralleling an end wall of the casing 8 of the toaster. A connector member I" has a part II thereof having a sliding fit on the guide rod 9, and at its respective opposite ends the member I0 is bolted or otherwise secured as at I! to upstanding terminals l3 provided on the extensions 8 of the bread racks.

Also mounted on the adjacent end of the casing 8 adjacent the top of the casing is a bracket it to which is secured one end of a spring IS, the opposite end of the spring being suitably connected with an intermediate portion or the member Ill for normally urging the member i0 and the bread racks upwardly to a position ejecting the bread from the toaster.

For lowering the member Ill and consequently the bread racks simultaneously there is provided a solenoid or electro-magnet it that is suitably mounted as at I! on the end wall oi. the casing 8. Solenoid I8 is provided with a reciprocating armature l8 one end of which is connected as at ii to a lateral extension 20 provided at one end 01' the member III as shown in Figure 2.

The solenoid It as clearly shown in Figure 5 is arranged in circuit with a control switch 2 I.

The switch 2i comprises a fixed contact 22 mounted on a bracket 23 that is fixed to and in- 'sulated from the end wall of the toaster casing l as shown in Figure 1. Complemental to the contact 22 is a contact, 24 mounted on and insulated from an arm 25 that depends from a lever 28. The lever 26 is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends to a bracket 21 that extends from said end of the toaster casing 8, and at one end thereof the lever 26 is provided with a 50 suitable handle 28.

It will thus be seen that when switch 2| is closed the circuit will be completed through the solenoid l6 causing the sliding armature I8 thereof to move downwardly for lowering the u of spring II.

For releasably retaining the member II and the tray racks in lowered position with the bread on the racks in heating position there is provided a latch member I! pivoted as at II to a bracket arm Ii suitably mounted on the casing I. A spring 3! acts on the latch ll to normally urge the same into a vertical position for engaging the head thereof with the upper edge of the member it at the adjacent end of the latter for releasably securing the member II in the lowered position.

A release lever or link a is provided for the latch 2!. At one end the lever 38 is pivoted to the member 20 while at its opposite end the rod 33 is provided with a loop 34 in which works a pin II provided on the latch 28.

The operation of the device is thought to be clear and may briefly be summarized as follows:-

Normally the bread racks and member iii are in the lowermost position with the latch is engaging the member It to retain the parts mentioned in this lowered position. The bread is then placed in the toaster through the usual slot provided therefor in the top of the casing I to rest on the bread rack. Thus the bread is supported in heating position. After the toasting operation has been completed the operator pulls upwardly on the handle 28 causing the member 26 to rotate in a clockwise direction. This will, through the medium of the loop 34 and pin ll, cause a downward pressure to be exerted on the latch 2s. Latch 29, in response to such pressure, will swing in a clockwise direction against the action of spring 32 thus releasing the member Iii. Spring I5 will then act on the member II to move the latter'together with the bread racks upwardly for electing the toasted bread. The operator then presses downwardly on the handle 28 to swing the member 28 in a counterclockwise direction to engage contacts 2! and I! thus completing the circuit through the solenoid ll. Solenoid It will then be excited for causing the armature ll thereof to move downwardly and this movement of the armature is transmitted to the member ID for causing said member and the bread racks, with or without slices of bread to be toasted on the racks, to move downwardly whereupon the member II will reengage with the latch 29 for releasably retaining the bread racks in this lowered position.

Thus it will be seen that with a device of this character the bread racks are lowered by electrically operated or electro-magnetic means and said bread racks may be lowered simultaneously and without material eflort, manually, on the I part of the operator.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

i. In a toaster having vertically shiftabie bread rack, spring means connected with the bread rack for normally urging the same upwardly to a toast-ejecting position, latch means mounted on the toaster for releasably retaining the bread rack against the action of said spring means in a lowered position, a solenoid having a reciprocating armature connected with the bread rack for lowering the latter upon the energization of the solenoid. a switch for closing the circuit through the solenoid, and means operatively connecting the switch with said latch for releasing the latch incidental to an opening of the circuit through the solenoid.

91,888 member II and the tray racks against the action end thereof being provided with extensions proiecting through said slots. a fixed verticalguide rod paralleling said end wall of the casing, a member mounted on the guide rod to slide vertically relative thereto, said member having its opposite ends fixedly connected with the bread rack extensions to raise and lower the bread racks incidental to a sliding movement of said member on said guide rod, a spring anchored at one end to the end wall of said casing and having a second end secured to said member for normally urging the latter together with the bread racks to an upward position, and mechanism acting on said slide member in opposition to said spring for lowering said bread racks, said mechanism including a solenoid fixedly mounted on said casing and having a reciprocating armature connected at one end thereof with said slide member. v

3. In a bread toaster, a racks mounted therein for vertical sliding movement, said casing having an end wall provided with vertical slots and said bread racks at one end thereof being provided with extensions projecting through said slots, a ilxed vertical guide rod paralleling said end member mounted on the guide rod to slide vertically relative thereto, said member having its opposite ends fixedly connected with the bread rack extensions to raise and lower the bread racks incidental to a sliding movement of said member on said guide rod, a spring anchored at one end to the end wall of said casing and having a second end secured to said member for normally urging the latter together with the bread racks to an upward position, and mechanism acting on said slide member in opposition to said spring for lowering said bread racks, said mechanism including a solenoid fixedly mounted on said casing and having a reciprocating armature connected at one end thereof with said slide member, a latch member pivotaily mounted in the path of said slide member to engage the latter when in lowered position for releasably securing said slide member and said racks in lowered position, means supporting said latch member at one end of said casing, a control switch for said solenoid mounted on said casing above said latch member, said control switch including a vertically swinging operating lever and a link connection between said lever and said latch member for operating said latch incidental to an operation of said switch.

4. A toasting device having in combination, a casing, a vertically shiftable bread rack within said casing, said casing having openings through which slices of bread may be placed in said rack. means connected to said bread rack normally urging the same upwardly to toast-ejecting position, electro magnetic means mounted on said casing and operatively connected to said bread.

rack for moving the same downward to toasting position, an electrical, circuit including said electro magnetic means and a control means for said circuit by which the time of action of said electro-magnetic meansmay be determined and governed.

5. A toasting device having in combination, a casing, a toast supporting member disposed in said casing and movable vertically therein upward casing having bread wall of the casing, a.

to non-toasting position and movable vertically 7' sliding movement, guiding means in said casing for said bread racks, said racks having portions engaging said guiding means, said bread racks being movable upwardly to non-toasting position and being movable downward to toasting position,

electrically operated means adjacent and aligned with said casing connected to said bread racks for moving the same downwardly to toasting position and a. control means supported adjacent said casing by which the time of action of said electri- 10 cally operated means may be determined.

CLAYTON W. MALMQUIST. 

